Shuttle motion for narrow ware looms



Dec. 31, 1935. E. R. HOLMES SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed Nov. 19,

O 2 I iflw 7E7Z/ar KWJK Patented Dec. 31, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHUTTLE MOTION FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Application November 19, 1934, Serial No. 753,567

8 Claims. (Cl. 139-138) This invention relates to improvements in shuttle motions more particularly for narrow ware looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide improved means for imparting a relatively long stroke to the shuttle actuating rack rod in such looms.

Narrow ware looms are customarily made with a lay having a rack rod movable longitudinally therein and meshing with pinions which in turn have driving relation with racks on the shuttles. As the rack rod is moved in one direction lengthwise of the lay the pinions are rotated and cause movement of the shuttles in the opposite direction through the warp threads and across the fabric space. The operation is such that two pinions are located one on each side of the fabric space, one pinion pushing the shuttle across the space into driving relation with the other which draws the shuttle out of the warp shed to complete the shuttle motion.

The rack rods move in a straight line and when actuator sticks are attached to the rack rods the upper ends of said sticks will ordinarily also move in a straight line. The actuator stick assumes diagonal positions with respect to the lay at the beginning and ending of the rack rod stroke, but where the shuttle motion is large it is inconvenient to pivot the actuator stick ona fixed axis, since the center of motion is below the floor on which the loom rests. Accordingly, it is an important object of my present invention to provide an improved connection for the actuator stick which will permit the upper end of it to travel along a straight line and at the same time travel about the center which is beneath the floor. This center may be fixed or movable, depending upon the proportion and relation of the several parts of the motion.

As set forth more particularly hereinafterI accomplish this result by using a double crank having arms of unequal'throw, the arm of the lesser throw being connected to the bottom of the actuator stick while the arm of the greater throw isconnected at some point between the bottom and top of the actuator stick. In this of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig 2 is a detailed View showing parts of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 44, Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale, and

Fig. 5 is a. detailed plan view taken in the direction of arrow 5, Fig. 1. Referring particularly to Fig. l, I have shown a loom frame I0 having a lay II with uprights 12 across which extend a rail 13. Pinions [4 are mounted on the lay below shuttle guides I5 and cooperate with shuttles one of which is shown at 15 S. The shuttles may be of common construction and need not be specifically set forth herein since they arewell-known and mesh with the pinions to be moved across the fabric space F.

The lay has slidably mounted therein a rack rod [6 which meshes with the pinions and is arranged for longitudinal reciprocation along the lay to cause the pinions to rotate first in one direction and then in the other. An actuator stick I'll may be pivoted as at l8 to the rack and moves in a slot I9 formed in the lay. The loo-m has a bottom shaft 20 which may make one revolution for two picks or beats of the loom.

The matter thus far described is of common construction in narrow ware looms and of itself forms no part of my present invention. Reciprocation of the rack rod causes the shuttle to move first in one direction and then in the other across the corresponding fabric space F in the usual weaving operations.

In carrying my invention into effect I interpose between the bottom shaft 20 and the actuator stick I! a mechanism which will give said stick a relatively long sweep without requiring the same to move about a center which is structurally supported. Accordingly, I secure to the bottom shaft a' bevel gear 30 which meshes with a second bevel gear 3| secured to a cross shaft 32. The latter is mounted in suitable bearings 33 and has fastened to the forward end thereof a plate 34 with a hub 35 connected to the shaft by a key 36. The plate 34 has extending therefrom walls 31 which define a slot 38 extending preferably radially with respect to the cross shaft 32.

A block 40 is located in the slot between and in engagement with the walls and is held in adjusted radial position by means of a screw 4| passing through the block and threaded into the plate as shown in Fig. 4 Secured in one end of the block is a stud 45 held against rotation in the block by v a key 46 and having an enlarged bearing portion 47 to receive the 'rod head 48 of a link 49. The outer end of the link is pivotally connected as at 56 to the bottom of the actuator stick IT.

The outer end of the stud 45 carries arm 55 held thereto against rotation by a key 56 and the hub 51 of the arm is forced against the larger bearing portion 41 by a nut 58. The upper end of the-arm 55 has two spaced guide lugs 60 between which extends the shank 6| of a second arm 62 into the upper end of which is secured a stud 63. A bolt 64 passes through the arm 55 and the shank 6| and coacts with the lugs to hold these two parts together against relative angular motion. Longitudinal adjustment of the two arms is afforded by a slot 65 in shank 6| which permits the stud 63 to be located at a plurality of different distances from the stud 45. The outer end of the stud 63 has a bearing portion 10 for the rod head H of a second link 12 pivotally connected as at 13 to some part of the actuator stick I! above the pivot 50.

In operation, the bottom shaft 20 will rotate continuously and by means of the equal bevel gearing shown in Fig. will cause a rotation of the plate 34 once for each revolution of the bottom shaft, or for each two beats of the loom. The resultant motion of stud 45 around the axis of cross shaft 32 causes a back and forth reciprocation of the rod 49 which gives the lower end of the actuator stick a short motion between two extreme positions, one shown in dotted and the other in dot and dash lines in Fig. 1. At the same time the stud 63 makes a revolution around the shaft 32 and causes a reciprocation of the rod 12 of larger scope than rod 49, thereby causing the pivotal connection 13 to move through a greater distance than does the pivotal connection 56. There results a corresponding motion on the part of the actuator stick I! from the dotted to the dot and dash extreme positions shown in Fig. 1 to give the rack rod IS a long stroke. Movement of the stick from the dotted to the dot and dash position, Fig. 1, corresponds to one heat of the loom, and the return stroke corresponds to a second beat.

By referring to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the projections of the center line of the actuator stick when the latter is in its extreme position intersect at a point considerably below the floor on which the loom rests, making it inconvenient if not impossible to provide a single bearing around which the stick could move as a center. By the construction shown herein the large motion of the stick can be attained even though the actual center around which it is moved is inaccessible.

Adjustments of the amount of the stroke for the actuator stick and the rack can be gotten by changing the relative positions of the stud 45 and 63 with respect to each other and also with respect to the axis of shaft 32. It will be seen from Fig. 4 that each of these studs can be given a variety of settings with respect to the cross shaft and also with respect to each other.

From the foregoing it will be'seen that I have provided a simple form of drivingconnection between a rotating shaft of the loom and the rack rod actuator stick constructed in such a way. as

plished by a pair of crankrarms one of which 7 is longer than the other, together with links connected to the actuator stick at different distances from the theoretical center around which the stick moves.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without depart- 5 ing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited tothe details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a shuttle motion for narrow ware looms,

a rack rod, an actuating member for the rack rod, a pair of rotating power delivering crank arms of unequal lengths, a common axis about which the arms rotate, and means to connect said crank arms to the actuator member at different distances from the rack rod to cause reciprocating 15 movement of the latter as the crank arms rotate.

2. In a shuttle motion for narrow ware looms, a rack rod, an actuating member for the rack rod, a rotating shaft, a pair of crank arms of unequal lengths secured to and rotating with the shaft, and means to operatively connect the crank arms to the actuator member at points unequally spaced from the rack rod, the crank arm of greater length being operatively connected to the actuator member at a point nearer the rack rod than the point of operative connection between the actuator member and the other crank arm.

3. In a shuttle motion fora narrow ware loom,

a rotating shaft, a pair of arms of unequal lengths operatively connected to and rotating with the shaft, a rack rod to be reciprocated, an actuator stick having one end thereof operatively connected to the rack rod, and a pair of links operatively connecting the crank arms with said stick, the link attached to the shorter crank arm being connected to the end of the stick opposite the rack rod and the link operatively connected to the longer crank arm being attached to the stick at a point between the rack rod and the point of attachment 'of the first link. 40

4. In a shuttle motion for anarrow ware loom, arotatingshaft, a block operatively connected to the shaft in any one of a plurality of positions relatively to the axis of the shaft and rotating about theaxis of said shaft, a link connected to the block at a point spaced from the axis of the shaft, a crank arm connected to the block, a second link pivotally connected to the arm, a rack rod, an actuating stick for the rack rod, and means to connect the links to the actuator stick at dif- 50.

ferent distances from the rack rod.

5.. In a shuttle motion for a narrow ware loom, a rotating shaft, a block to be operatively connected to the shaft in any one of a plurality of positions relativelyto the axis of the shaft and rotating aboutthe axis of the shaft, a link connected to the block at a point spaced from the axis of the shaft, a crank arm connected to the block, a secondlink pivotally connected to the arm, a rack rod, an actuating stick-for the. rack rod, and'means to connect the links to the actuator stick at different distances from the rack rod, the second named link being operatively connected to the crank arm at a point farther from the axis of the shaft than the point of connection between the first link and the block, and'said second link being connected to the actuator stick at a point nearer the rack rod than the point of connection between the first link and the rack rod. T 6. In a shuttle motion for a narrow ware loom, a "rack rod to be reciprocated, an-actuator stick operatively connected to the rack rod, a pair of power delivering stick moving elements operatively connected to the stick at different distances (6:

from the rack rod, a common axis about which the arms rotate and means to cause one of said elements to move through a greater range of motion than the range of motion of the other element.

7. In a shuttle motion for a. narrow ware loom having a rack rod to be reciprocated, an actuator stick operatively connected to the rack rod, a pair of power delivering stick actuating elements connected to said stick at difi'erent distances from said rack rod, a common axis about which the arms rotate and meansto give said elements different degrees of motion, the element attached at diiferent distances from the rack rod, the ele- V ment connected to the actuator at a point nearer the rack rod having a motionlarger than the l motion of the other element.

ELBRIDGE R. HOLMES. 

